


Shroud

by phoenixjustice



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Harvey and Bruce being bros (yeah it surprised me too!), M/M, Venom (no not that kind. This is DC not Marvel lol.), mentions of Batjokes, mentions of Swamp Thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:15:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27100315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phoenixjustice/pseuds/phoenixjustice
Summary: A Baneface fic, set sometime during the New 52."...Happiness is never to be taken for granted. The real question is if you are willing to also take risks."
Relationships: Bane/Harvey Dent
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	Shroud

**Author's Note:**

> For Jai!
> 
> I hope you love this, bby! :D

Shroud

By: PhoenixJustice

A _Baneface_ fic set sometime during New 52. Potential spoilers to be expected.

_Italics for flashbacks._

**_Dos almas - Two souls_ **

**_Hermosa - Beautiful_ **

**_Hermosa Bestia - Beautiful Beast_ **

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Smoke. Flashes of red. The sounds that race through and past the ears, making no purchase. Liquid fire runs through his veins, pushing him and pushing him, further and further and _further-!_

Wetness, liquid red. ...blood?

He blinks and blinks again. Was that _his_ hands, so stained in red? What were those sounds? What was going on? All of these…

Venom. That sweet rush of adrenaline and fire that raced inside of him, sweeter than any treat and deadlier than any other poison. But no, not the same was it? Or had it been? His head feels like it's simultaneously a million pounds and no pounds, feeling barely there.

He blinks again, seeing double, triples of things. What was in that concoction? What…

He collapses.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"I know you don't want to see me. But it's important."

He snorts. "I doubt our levels of _importance_ reach the same wavelengths, Bruce."

It wasn't often that Harvey spoke Bruce's name openly when Bruce was under the cowl, but Harvey had known his identity for years at this point. Longer than even he, Bruce, had realized. Hadn't even known, for all of his ability at deduction, until Harvey had told him so to his face.

"I mean it, Harvey." He insists, taking the non-reaction that Harvey was having to be called by his legal name as a good sign.

Often before, the insistence would be there, the _demand,_ to be called Two Face instead. Which Bruce would acquiesce to on occasion, if the situation called for it, as before if he didn't Harvey would respond with violence or other destructive things. But the past while, for whatever reason, he had seemed different in ways that weren't so destructive. He seemed more...grounded, despite his dual nature. It was fascinating, if a subject he hadn't been able to look further in detail (so much of Gotham took up his time, but especially as of late. If these signs of Joker were true…)

"What? No Wonder Robin to help you? No Catgirl or Nightbird or Little Orphan Annie?" Harvey asks, with a wry tone and even wryer smirk on his face, his burned half making the smile stretch almost unnaturally. But Harvey, as always, carried things well, despite everything.

This was more the Harvey that he knew, once upon a time, when they had both been completely on the same side, before a few brief seconds had completely upended Harvey's world, changing so many things in the process.

"Please, Harvey."

Something in his tone must take, because the expression in Harvey's face changes, his eyes turning much more serious.

"It must be difficult, if you're asking for my help." Harvey says, though his tone is not joking in the way it just had been moments before.

"Before we go, I need to ask you something."

Harvey rolls his eyes as he shrugs on his jacket, a black and white (black on its left, white on its right) number, to match the rest of the black and white attire he wore.

"Don't use the Batcar for joy rides, be back before midnight, don't stop in the drive thru?" Harvey drawls, raising a brow, the dry humor briefly returning.

"What do you know about Anti-Venom?"

Harvey visibly stills, his expression freezing.

"Why do you ask?" He asks Bruce, his voice suddenly gone raspy with some emotion that Bruce cannot parse.

"It comes up initially like standard Venom, but it mutates very quickly. I've done many tests so far and-"

He's genuinely startled when Harvey gets into his space and grabs onto him, pulling at him, his expression thawing into one of fire.

"Tests on _what?"_

He blinks. "Standard lab tests. Under the microscope."

There was no need to lie to Harvey, especially about something genuinely standard. Why was he reacting so...ah.

"I wouldn't test on anyone." He says. "So you needn't worry."

Harvey abruptly lets go of him, straightening out his jacket and no longer looking at him.

"What I do or don't worry about is not any of your business, Bruce." Harvey says, harshly. "We haven't been friends in a very long time."

That stung. The truth often did.

"I know." He says. It hurt, but he had taken on much worse hurts than his fractured friendship with Harvey. "But now you understand what I mean, don't you? Why I asked you and no one else."

Harvey looks up at him at that.

"Others have chemistry experience, but few have experience with Bane." He says. "And even fewer have-"

Harvey shakes his head and starts to walk past him.

"Yeah, yeah. We going or what?"

He probably should put extra fire protection on the Batmobile. Just in case.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"What the hell?" He breathes, as they get outside.

There were fires everywhere, broken glass and building parts everywhere, the distant hum of sirens of police and the fire department. Also in the distance sounds of wailing or screaming and just general talking could be heard.

"A drawback of you having soundproof rooms." Bruce says behind him. He glances behind him to see the other man looking past him, looking at the wreckage that had been done to 'his' city.

"Keeps bats like you from using your sonar." He says faintly, not really paying attention to Bruce now as he continues to look at the scenery that continued to unfold before him, especially as they make their way to the aptly-if silly-named Batmobile.

Anti-Venom…

"Harvey?" Bruce says in a low voice.

He starts a bit, pulling at his jacket almost unconsciously, shaking his head a bit.

"Come on." He pokes at the passenger side door. Bruce had pulled out one of his more classic looking vehicles, though he had no doubt that the Bat had equipped it with everything _including_ the kitchen sink (because if anyone could somehow find a good reason to use a kitchen sink, it'd be _Batman.)_

Bruce lets out a little sound, though he can't tell if it's one of approval or disapproval (with Bruce it often was the latter, at least when he was the Bat. As _Bruce Wayne,_ well...it was rather amusing that people thought _he,_ Harvey Dent, was the only dual identities person in Gotham City.)

The door opens and he's quick to get inside, eyes doing a quick sweep of everything he can make out before Bruce gets inside (you never knew when even the smallest of details could come in handy for things down the road. Something he had learned very well over the years.)

Bruce gets inside quickly-perhaps to avoid Harvey getting even more information (Bruce knew him well, to be certain)-and is even quicker to get the vehicle started and moving...but in the opposite direction where all the hubbub seemed to be occurring from.

He turns his head a bit, looking out the window.

"This some sort of doublecross, Wayne?"

"What happened to Bruce?" Bruce asks, almost lightly.

"Well, that depends."

"On?"

"If I need to be pissed at you or not." His scarred hand idly starts to rub at his double headed coin, a coin almost as scarred as he was at this point, the one he hadn't used in a long time. Duality, after all, relied on _two sides,_ not one. Same with relationships, after all. Bane had-

He cuts off that train of thought. He had to focus, especially if things were as bad as Bruce _hadn't_ been saying.

"You and Alfred can fight over the rights then." Bruce says idly, making a sharp turn with an ease that he envies-and hates himself for envying. Bruce put on such a facade of _perfection_ and the worst of it was that often it _wasn't_ a facade. He was human like the rest of them, but he had trained himself in ways that Harvey could scarcely fathom sometimes.

"Alfred _stopped_ being mad at you then?"

Bruce lets out a rather undignified snort for _Batman_ and the moment gives him a twinge of nostalgia. It instantly reminded him of when they were younger, before Bats and death and fire and acid and (temporary) madness came between them. Bruce had been the brother he had never had. And...despite everything that had occurred since then...still often felt that way.

"Well he has to sleep eventually." Bruce says dryly.

"What is he mad about then?"

He can feel Bruce's eyes on him at that, even before he glances over to see Bruce looking at him, before looking back at the road.

"...it's nothing."

That tone? That way of trying to deflect things? He really _hadn't_ changed much since they were kids. He often did that as a way to try and hide things, emotions included.

"Joker then? What'd he do _this_ time? Though honestly," He says, straightening out his tie just to give himself something to do so he didn't keep messing with his coin in his hand. "At this rate it feels like more a matter of what _hasn't_ he done?"

"It's personal." Bruce says. He seemed more focused on the road now, which makes him think that they are nearly where Bruce wants to take them to. Well, it wasn't near Wayne Manor _or_ Arkham, so it couldn't be _too_ bad…

"Oho." He says, raising a brow at Bruce. "Going steady, finally? You've been making the poor boy wait for _years,_ after all. Pining and everything! The amount of times he tried to buy my services to put you on trial. I kept telling him I was disbarred, what with all the _murder_ and everything but you know how he likes to listen…"

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The place was nondescript; concrete or some sort of other grey material lining the walls outside, with a few sparse windows here and there. They were sitting in a wooded area that he was surprised to see-but probably _shouldn't_ have been surprised, considering it was _Bruce_ he was talking about-deep in the heart of Gotham City.

"Ivy?" He asks, as they make their way towards the building.

"She offered." Bruce says, coming to walk beside him. "For helping save Harley, but Swamp Thing offered first."

He lets out a whistle. Swamp Thing was unbelievably powerful, with the unfortunate side effect of being a goody two shoes like Bruce, so for him to create something like this spoke a lot about the potential situation-or other situations that Bruce had been through, or was preparing for.

"I want to warn you," Bruce says, his voice turning more somber as they make their way inside (after a few button work and other security measures Bruce takes to open it up, paranoid as he always was.) "He...is not all there."

His stomach clenches at that and his throat dries. His...closeness with Bane was something that few knew the extent of, though it was surely common knowledge at this point how much they had been working together the past year and a half.

What they _didn't_ need to know-Bruce included-was the things left in the dark, or in private, things gladly shared between the two of them. Not that he was by any means _ashamed;_ things like guilt or the like had mostly left him once the acid had gotten thrown his way. No, it was more just wanting something to keep to himself, to _themselves._

" _Man. Or woman. Or both. Or neither. Whatever you are,_ ** _dos almas_** _, is all you need to be. Did you think that I would deny you anything? I know what it is to live a life of doubles, of feeling like you are more than one thing, pulled in often vastly different directions. I have lived a life full of strife and hardships. Happiness is never to be taken for granted. The_ ** _real_** _question is if you are willing to also take risks. You have taken a few in your career, did you not? Before you thought your life was over after the acid was thrown upon you."_

" _My body…"_

" _Have I not loved your body with as much care as I have loved your spirits, your halves, your_ _ **selves**?_ _"_

_Bane leans down closer to him. He was taller and larger than him and yet despite the dangerous aura he could project (often unconsciously it seemed like), he holds still when Harvey touches his face._

" _ **Hermosa**." __He breathes almost in tandem with him, their foreheads touching._

_Bane had become a grounding presence in his life that he had never expected. And yet that presence had not come at the cost of trying to_ **_change_ ** _him, to_ **_rid_ ** _him of his 'bad' self. Bane had accepted him, all of him, had accepted the two halves of men that made one man and had done so selflessly, without expecting nothing in return._

_It had been no wonder he had realized he loved him in return afterwards._

" ** _Hermosa. Hermosa bestia-"_**

" _Hermosa Bestia."_ He breathes now, back in the moment, in the present.

His hands are on the large face of Bane, as battered and covered in blood as he was. Blood that didn't appear to be much his own. Worry lances through him all the same, looking him over without thinking about it.

"Harvey, I don't think-" Bruce starts, from somewhere behind him.

"You brought me here for this." He says, without taking his eyes away from the larger man in front of him. "So let me."

Bruce grows quiet again for the moment, as Harvey slowly removes the mask from Bane's face, which was covered in all manner of blood, dirt and who knew what else, tossing it aside, rubbing his hands against his face, seeing Bane shudder and lean in closer to him.

He leans his forehead against Bane's, breathing in slow and deep, watching, waiting, as the larger man's body starts to slow, breathing in tandem with him.

"I've been looking into who injected him with the Anti-Venom." Bruce says, quieter now and he actually feels a stab of gratefulness for him for the tone. It sounded respectful, despite his and Bruce's differences.

"When you find out…" He trails off.

"I won't tell you." Bruce says.

"Good." And he means it. Because he knows if he finds out who, he will _more_ than murder that person. The _thought_ of it is almost enough to send him into a rage, if not for the sight in front of him, of the man who needed him more than the thought of revenge did.

"I'll just let you…" Bruce trails off. "If you think you'll be okay?"

"It's fine." He says, never taking his eyes off of Bane's face.

"I'll be back in the morning, after I finish cleaning up the city. There's other rooms-"

"I get it. But," He says, softening his tone. "Thank you."

A pause. A deep one. There was a whole threshold here of things that still lay between them, the broken, fractured, friendship. But that was something-one way or another-that would take more than a single night to fix. Especially a night such as this.

The door closes softly and it leaves him there with Bane, the only close sounds, their near shared breathing and the faint sounds of sirens and things in the distance (though they seemed to be dying down now.)

He watches as Bane's eyes slowly open, looking at him. He jerks back a bit, but doesn't try to pull out of Harvey's grip, though he was assuredly stronger than him in physical strength.

" _Dos almas?"_ Bane asks, looking around wildly for a moment before looking back at him. "Am I still in a dreaming state?"

"You were dreaming of me?"

Bane finds a smile, despite the pain he must still be feeling from the Anti-Venom slowly leaving his body.

"I always dream of you." He takes a large hand, touching Harvey's face with a surprising gentleness for a man that could-quite literally-break somebody in two. "It is one of my favorite places to be."

"And your other favorite place?"

"With you in the here and now."

"Funny, that," He says softly, leaning back in. "Because those are also my favorite places to be."

And kisses him.

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End file.
